The instant invention relates to brick-cleaning machinery. Specifically, the instant invention provides means for removing mortar from used brick thereby producing clean used brick suitable for use in construction.
Incorporation of used brick into new structures is considered aesthetically pleasing by many people. A source of used brick is found in buildings which are being torn down to make way for new construction. Before used brick may be placed in new construction, the mortar which was previously used to hold the brick together in the old structure must be removed, and the surfaces of the brick which have mortar adhering to them must be clean so that the brick is ready to receive a new coat of mortar.
An object of the instant invention is to provide apparatus for removing mortar from used brick, thereby preparing the used brick for use in new construction.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide means for removing mortar from used brick which breaks the mortar off of the brick and then scrapes the sides of the brick clean.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a machine which incorporates mortar-removing means in a plurality of cleaning stations for preparing used brick for subsequent use.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide brick-cleaning means which are powered by movement of a used brick through a brick-cleaning station.
The instant invention includes a pair of brick-cleaning rails which are mounted on either side of a track with a powered conveyor. Another brick-cleaning rail is mounted above the track. Mortar-removing means are mounted on the rails and include a mortar breaker, a rotatably mounted sprocket assembly which penetrates the mortar remaining on a brick and a scraper for finishing the brick and removing any mortar remaining on the brick once it has passed through the breaker and mortar penetration means. The rails are yieldably spring-biased to allow passage of various sized bricks therethrough and to provide adequate pressure on the sides and top of a brick to remove the mortar still adhering to a brick. The brick-cleaning rails are incorporated into a machine which has a powered conveyor to move a used brick through the rails. The machine includes an infeed area where bricks are fed into the machine, a cleaning station, which includes the brick-cleaning rails, and a discharge station. A discharge chute is provided to receive the common output of several cleaning stations.
These and other objects and advantages of the instant invention will be more fully apparent as the description which is follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.